Cascade's Centennial Golf Course redevelopment plan finally in place

Residents
are already asking "what's next?," now that Cascade Township has put the final
stamp of approval on the proposed Meadowood Development plan, which will
replace the closed Centennial Golf Course with a combination of single-family
homes and an apartment complex.

The Township
Planning Commission wrestled with the decision for over eight months, but in
the end unanimously sent a recommendation for approval to the full board.

Meadowood
Development purchased the golf course in 1992 and after five years of
attempting to market it as a golf course, closed operations last November.
"

Some of
neighbors recognized the need for the golf course closing. "There are over
300 owners in the six associations bordering the golf course, but to my
knowledge only six held memberships," said Gilbert Girtz, president of
Heathmoor Home Owners Association. "I loved living on the golf course, but
it will still be a beautiful area."

Meadowood
Development worked with the six HOAs and made deals that included selling and
gifting portions of the fairways, sharing drives and roads, and agreeing to do
needed repairs as well as making desired changes in the plans to preserve views
for current homeowners throughout the process.

Public
hearings held by the Planning Commission drew hundreds of area residents, many
with concerns about their property values going down, losing views of the
fairways and other green space, and increased traffic in Centennial Park.

The final
public hearing before the Township Board's approval still drew about 50 people,
some of whom took one last opportunity to try to convince board members to vote
against allowing the changes. "Density will more than double and
apartments will completely change our associations," said Barbara Yared.
She also questioned the proposals plan for a day-care center, stating that
"there are plenty of vacant buildings in the front section of Centennial
Park."

Centennial
Park fronts on 28th Street with an existing office park. Behind the office and
some commercial buildings are the six homeowners associations with a
combination of single and two-unit condominiums, primarily owned by older
adults. There is also an existing assisted care facility and the closed 80-acre
golf course, a club house, and facility that currently is used for a catering
business. An existing landscape facility, originally set up for golf course
maintenance, will be allowed to continue operations, but not add services,
expand, or in case of facility loss, rebuild.

The
Meadowood Development calls for additional single-family homes, expected to
range in price from $225,000 to $600,000, scattered throughout the former golf
course area. A 130-unit apartment complex will be located on the south side of
Charlevoix Drive near the Golf Ridge Association and the existing Country Club.
Total new residential units for Centennial Park is at 254, said Township
Planning Director Steve Peterson.

The plan
came from a series of compromises, said Trustee Jack Lewis, who represents the board
on the Planning Commission. "No one is 100-percent happy. The important
thing to remember is that all three parties, the residents, the developer, and
the township worked together."

Chris
Beckering, authorized spokesman for Meadowood Development, thanked the township
and the neighboring condominium associations. "This was not an easy
process for any of us. The willingness of most everyone to work through the
disappointment and work together toward a mutually acceptable solution was
truly appreciated," he said.

With final
approval in hand, the Meadowood Development Corp. will now submit applications
to the township for lot splits needed so existing property parcels will be
divided up to reflect the new property boundaries as agreed to in the approved redevelopment
plan. When that process is complete, pending sales and conveying of gifted land
transactions will be finalized.

"I
cannot speak as to exactly when construction may commence on the various
properties as those decisions will be left to the buyers of the property and
will be out of our control," said Beckering. "I think it is likely
that you will see construction starting by next spring, possibly sooner in some
areas."